house phone not working

jackieb

I'm about at my wit's end with it. It's been steadily getting worse and now I can't hear anyone on the other end of the line when i'm on the phone. They can hear me. It's like a buzzing noise.

I phoned BT this morning (on my mobile), and they had me go through different tests (ie taking the front cover off the phone socket and plug the phone into the test socket). They say they have tested my line and it's okay. They put me througn to BT Broadband and had me check my line speed as well (internet works okay - a bit slow sometimes and sometimes get cut off, but in the main it's okay). I recently bought new cordless phones, thinking it was my old ones, but it's just the same as before - even my old corded phone is the same. I have unplugged the router, and it still buzzes. I have replaced the ADSL filter with a brand new one, and it still buzzes!

Now, BT have said they will send an engineer to the house but it's going to cost £130. I really don't want to have to pay this. I've replaced the phones and the filter. I have tried all different combinations with 3 sets of phones, and with router plugged and unplugged.

Does anyone have any idea what it could be if it's not my line? It's hopeless not being able to talk on the phone. My phone will ring and I might hear what they're saying for the first 20 seconds or so, but then I just can't make it out. I used to get 15 minutes but over the past few months it has just got less and less time before the buzzing starts. I'm really not keen on having to pay £130, but it looks like I might have no other option.

pcombo

Sounds like an internal wireing issue, Normaly when the wire is loose or the screw to keep it in place is not tightend it will cause it to have a buzzing sound.

jackieb

Thanks. First suggestion i've had to what it could be! Looks like it'll be a £130 bill then.

pcombo

have you tried the test socket.

jackieb

Yes, with and without the filter and the router plugged in. With cordless and with corded phones. All different combinations.

asbokid

When you remove the bottom half of the faceplate on the NTE5, all extension wiring is disconnected.

If you are *sure* that the buzzing is still there when using a run-of-the-mill wired telephone connected through that concealed test socket, then the fault is with BT.

You can try a BT line test facility from a phone connected to the test socket.. dial 17070 and choose "quiet line test".. and listen for line noise..

jackieb

asbokid wrote: »

When you remove the bottom half of the faceplate on the NTE5, all extension wiring is disconnected.

If you are *sure* that the buzzing is still there when using a run-of-the-mill wired telephone connected through that concealed test socket, then the fault is with BT.

You can try a BT line test facility from a phone connected to the test socket.. dial 17070 and choose "quiet line test".. and listen for line noise..

Thank you. Will do.

macman

It will not cost you £130 unless the fault is found to be downstream of the NTE5 master socket. Anything the other side is BT's responsibility. This is what they were telling you.
So if you've tested from the test socket and the fault is still there, a call out charge is nothing to worry about.
The only exception is if a fault on the BT side is user-inflicted (i.e. if you've damaged the cable or NTE5).

MrsAtobe

I get a similar problem when the junction bo out

Enterprise_1701C

If the problem is the same with the test socket then it has to be the BT line, regardless of what the engineer says when he gets there. It is right on the end of the line, so cannot be any internal wiring issue or any such thing.

Just one warning, we had a customer who had a BT fault, it took three call outs and my OH being on site on the third one to actually convince them of what the fault was (although it was an unusual one!) and that it was their problem.

The customer STILL got 3 call out bills and my OH had to write a report to get them to cancel the bills. The default position with BT seems to be to bill the customer then the customer has to argue the point to get the bill cancelled.

Try to get something in writing from the engineer is there (unlikely - but worth a try) saying what the fault is try to get the bill cancelled.

Alternatively - get hold of a local independent telecoms engineer who can test it out and probably tell BT what the fault is and can then argue with BT for you. Check costs first.

S0litaire

If you get the buzzing when plugged in to the test socket then it's 100% BT's problem. They are in charge of the cable from the BT exchange to the Master Socket and they (Not you) incur any costs to fix it.

it sounds like the insulation from the wire from the master Socket to the Telephone pole might be damaged, a friend had something like that years ago when he moved into his house. The wiring was 20 years old and starting to fail, BT didn't replace it at the time since the pole outside was scheduled to be replaced in a few months later so they left it till then.

If you get a good BT Engineer he'll check the Master Socket to the pole (if you have one) then the wire from the pole to the local box on your street then from that box to the exchange.